Review of 'Fable'

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.

Review

Fable’s steady pace and atmospheric tone put the reader on a ship, sailing on a gripping adventure.

Excellent Protagonist

I was a bit apprehensive reading Fable. When I read The Girl the Sea Gave back by Young; I was not impressed. The characterization there was lackluster and did not captivate me in the slightest.

However, I am happy to note that that is not the case here. Fable is a fantastic character, fierce, strong, a survivor through and through. However, her experiences, while they harden her, do not strip her of her humanity and empathy.

Abandoned by her father after their ship is destroyed by a storm, taking her mothers’ life with it, Fable was told to survive, challenged by her father to survive. Moreover, she survived on land in the middle of the ocean disconnected from the mainland for four years. The disconnected bleeds into her narrative, making her a compelling protagonist.

Fable’s journey is all about finding a home, finding a place to belong, something to anchor her so that she is not sailing alone through the wind. Finally, Fable finds that family on the Marigold. Family is not always defined by blood but rather by those dearest to you, blood or not. Nevertheless, she is ruthless; she understands what it means to be at sea, that loving someone is dangerous, and the best way to keep it alive and the heart safe is to keep it secret behind all locked doors.

Captivating Story

Fable is not a fast-paced story. It certainly has pirate aspects, with the ship and trader vessels functioning like pirate ships. However, the story does not fly by. However, neither is it slow.

Fable flows at a steady pace and is more character-driven than anything else. The story is one of survival, love, and keeping love secret and safe amidst the torrents and storms. Moreover, that is how the story evolves. Fable is atmospheric; it moves like the waves on the sea, capturing the storms, capturing the taste and clarity of the sea air.

Young’s writing is lyrical as well; the way Fable reminisces of her mother, her father, her time at sea both before and after her father’s abandonment. This writing style was something I think lacked from The Girl the Sea Gave Back; the writing lacked personality and atmosphere. Fable does not.

Young imbues every page with such an intense atmosphere, and the steady pace just makes the novel so incredibly captivating.

Final Thoughts

Fable is a fantastic novel, captivating from beginning to end. A character-driven story that drives the plot forward in an engaging way.

• Writing Quality : 9/10
• Character Development : 9/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 9/10
• Intellectual Depth: 9/10
• Originality: 9/10
• Overall Rating: 4 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats, Mr. J the Kitten and Nyx.